Nigerian pilgrims would pay N4.9 million as fare for 2024 hajj.
The pilgrims have up to February 12 to complete the payment.
This was revealed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Saturday.
The fare breakdown shows that pilgrims traveling from Southern parts of the country would pay N4,899,000, while those from the North would pay N4,699,000. Pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri centres will pay N4,679,000.
A statement by NAHCON spokesperson Fatima Sanda Usara said the rise of the hajj fare was due to the foreign exchange instability.
The commission had earlier fixed N4.5 million as hajj fare deposit with December 31, 2023 as deadline. Due to poor responses, the deadline was extended by one month to January 31, to enable more pilgrims pay.
NAHCON has a 25 February deadline to remit the hajj fare to Saudi service providers.
The surging cost of foreign exchange and the crash of the naira is responsible for the rise in this year’s hajj fare.
Even though the federal government has approved an exchange rate of N850/$ in its 2024 national budget, the forex has surged to over N1,500/$ at both official and parallel markets.
The hajj commission said its Chairman and CEO, Jalal Ahmad Arabi, has worked assiduously to maintain the hajj fare at N4.5 million through various reductions in the cost of services in Saudi Arabia, however, the foreign exchange instability has made it nearly impossible.
